


An Angry Boy and an Orphaned Girl

by DorianExpress89



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Drabble Collection, F/M, Fluff and Crack, POV Multiple, Stormpilot, Wizards
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-19
Updated: 2018-01-20
Packaged: 2019-03-06 18:24:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,250
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13417005
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DorianExpress89/pseuds/DorianExpress89
Summary: Ben Solo is an American-born Wizard, raised in NYC, but moved to Great Britain when he was ten. Rey Kenobi is an orphaned, Muggle-born witch raised in foster homes until she was discovered to be a witch. Now, the two attend Hogwarts along with the Next Generation.Note: Armitage is a Weasley and Phasma is Gwen Malfoy.This narrative is not told in chronological order.





	1. 1. Christmas Mistletoes

            “It’s Christmas,” Rey said.

            Ben looked at her with fake astonishment. “Oh shit, it speaks.” He takes another drag of his cigarette, his second of the hour. The smoke rose into the still air of the night, dissipating with a gust of wind.

            “Who does this kind of shit on Christmas?” Rey yelled. She looked up at the cursed mistletoe dangling above their heads, staring down mockingly at them.

            “The Weasley’s probably,” Ben muttered, tossing the wasted butt of his cigarette onto the floor. “They’re your brew.”

            Rey turned and smacked Ben on his arm. “Can you at least pretend to be hurt?”

            “Ow.”

            Rey cursed underneath her breath again. “If it was Hugo, I’ll kill him. I swear, I will end his life.” It had to be Hugo. He was the only one who had bragged to her about working at his dad’s shop. Everyone assumed Rose was the only one to inherit their mother’s intelligence, but Hugo inherited it as well and with the mischievousness that never seemed to escape the men of the Weasley clan.

            Ben shrugged again. He reached into the pocket of his leather jacket and took out his pack of cigarettes, tapping on the end, popping out a single cigarette. He lifted it out with a finger and pointed it to her. “You want?”

            Rey scoffed. “No, of course not! And do you need to smoke a third one? Isn’t two enough? It’s been only an hour!”

            Ben looked at her wide-eyed. “An hour? Only an hour? I thought it was a lifetime already. No wonder I want to blow my goddamn brains out.” He retrieved the wand from his back pocket and pressed it to the end of his cigarette. A faint trail of smoke emerged from the end. Any thought Rey had given of kissing him had flown out the window.

            Rey looked up at Ben, taking a moment when he was looking away to study his features. She hated herself for doing it, but it was hard not to admire the boy when given the opportunity. When he was first year, he had short hair fashioned into an unfashionable bowl cut. His ears were a tad too big, his nose a bit too long, and his lips comically large. But the thing that she noticed the most were his eyes. She didn’t notice them at first, they were just brown. But they were intense. Some people wore their emotions on their sleeves, on their face, Ben wore them in his eyes. She should know, she had been on the receiving end of his searing glare countless times.

            If she could applaud puberty, she would. It had done a splendid job on Ben. He had grown into his ears, nose, and lips, transforming from an awkward looking prepubescent boy into someone well on their way to adulthood. She wished that puberty would do the same with her. She still seemed boyish in comparison to the other fifth years girls. She had given up on her bust size increasing, but she prayed that puberty would shave the baby fat from her face and her waist.

            “Where were you heading anyways? Before we got stuck in this damn trap,” Ben asked, flicking the spent cigarette aside.

            “You probably shouldn’t litter like that,” Rey said. “Filch will have your head for that, you know.”

            Ben scoffed. “Filch would be out of breath trying to catch me. Tell me, are you Gryffindor’s having your own Christmas party? Don’t answer that. I know you are. I helped supply the booze after all.”

            Rey quirked an eyebrow. “Of course, that’s where James got the fire whiskey. He said he had made an Unbreakable Vow with his supplier,” she said. “Wait, did you…”

            “No, of course not. I like profit, not conducting illegal acts,” Ben said, looking offended.

            “Well, supplying underage kids with booze is considered an illegal act in England,” Rey muttered.

            Ben shrugged nonchalantly. She hated how broad his shoulders were. “Then don’t drink it. It’s good stuff though.”

            “How much did James pay for it?” Rey asked.

            “That information is confidential. Unbreakable Vow and all,” Ben said, smirking down at her. “I hope you can understand.” Then, he winked at her. The bastard had winked at her.

            “You do realize I’m a prefect, right? I can take you to McGonagall right now,” Rey said, a touch of heat coloring her tone.

            “Really? Well, by all means,” Ben said, holding his hands out towards her. “Cuff me and take me in, Officer Kenobi.” He smiled at her again, that same infuriating smile. She had seen that smile before, it was the same one the Puddlemere United’s seeker, Han Solo, wore whenever he caught the snitch. It suited Ben.

            “Not going to arrest me, Officer Kenobi? Man, I was hoping you’d conjure up a pair of cuffs to latch around my wrists,” Ben said a moment later, returning his hands to his side. He flashed her another smile before leaning into her ear. “I bet you’ve had the fantasy before though.”

            “Keep it in your pants, Solo,” Rey muttered, suddenly aware of the flush in her face. “What about you? Doesn’t the famous Ben Solo have somewhere to be?”

            “The Hufflepuff’s are throwing a party in their common room,” Ben said, combing his hand through his hair. “I heard it was going to be pretty extravagant. I would know, I helped plan it.”

            “Why would they let a Slytherin plan their party?” Rey asked. “I’m sure they got party planners of their own.”

            Ben shrugged again and began picking at his fingernails. “They invited us and I offered to plan it for them. They provided the food and I provided the booze. Albus is even DJing.”

            “Is that why Albus isn’t coming to our party? His entire family is there,” Rey muttered.

            “Yeah, but he seems them every day and probably will over the entire vacation,” Ben said. “He’s bored of them and you Gryffindor’s. The same party, the same people, the same drama. Can you blame him for wanting to go to another party?”

            “We, Gryffindor’s, are anything but boring!” Rey spun around and gave Ben a shove. He took a step back, but stopped in air, propped up by the invisible wall of the magical box they had been forced into. “We have won the House Cup back to back, you know!”

            Ben raised his hands in mock defeat. “Wow, the House Cup! I’m so sorry, Supreme Leader of the Wizarding World! ‘We follow the rules and we get rewarded!’”

            “You’re just salty your house hasn’t won it,” Rey spat, her tone hot and venomous.

            “Yeah, I’m fucking incensed. Gosh darn it, what will I do without the House Cup on my resume? I hope Potter doesn’t hold it against me when I apply,” Ben said with a sneer.

            Rey laughed. “Yeah because Potter would allow a Slytherin into the Auror program. Get real, Solo. You snakes are just snakes.”

            Ben sighed and scratched the back of his head. “You lot never learn, do you?”

            Rey’s teeth clenched into a snarl. “Learn what, Solo? Going to give me another lesson about my impure bloodline?” The memory from their first year on the lake sprang to mind. The way he looked at her, enraged, practically foaming at the mouth.

            Ben’s eye widened. “That was once and I apologized for it.”

            “Right because I can forget the look in your eyes when you called me a mudblood? You meant it and I know you think it every time you lay eyes on me,” Rey spat, punctuating each word with a poke in his chest.

            Ben’s hand shot out, grasping Rey’s wrist. He jerked her forward and stared her in the eyes. There was a primal look to his eyes, feral with anger. “Shut up, _Rey_ ,” he whispered, saying her name with the same inflection as if he had said Voldemort’s name. “You Gryffindor spout this and that about blood acceptance, but you think that every Slytherin discriminates against you because of your parentage. What to know something?”

            “What?” Rey’s voice came out as a squeak.

            “I don’t care about your fucking parentage. You’re smart, strong with magic. We don’t like you because you’re a bloody prude and pain in our ass,” Ben said. “You Gryffindor’s cling to the past. Voldemort’s reign ended over twenty years ago. Do you honestly believe that Hogwarts is the same place since him? Do you think none of us have changed?

“You and your brew are always so damn self-righteous, it’s no wonder we don’t invite you to our parties. It’s no wonder why Albus and Armitage hate spending time with their clan of weasels. Listen carefully to the words you and your House say next time when they’re around. Snakes this and snakes that.”

Rey tore her hand from Ben’s grip, rubbing the ache from her skin. “Shut up, Solo,” She muttered meekly. “You’re wrong. He loves his family…And us.”

“He loves his family. He’s a good person like that,” Ben said, combing his hand through his hair again. “Me? I’m not so forgiving. You lot seem to think that nothing has changed. Did you know before, they didn’t have computers in the library? Technology didn’t seem to work on the grounds. Now it does. Imagine a world without computers! The internet?” He reached into his pocket and withdrew his Galaxy S8. “Without phones? Reddit? Instagram? Twitter?”

“What does your phone have anything to do with this?” Rey asked.

“The world has changed. Hogwarts has changed,” Ben said, pocketing his phone. “If Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff have let bygones be bygones, why shouldn’t Gryffindor? Let the past die.”

Rey opened her mouth to respond, but found that she had nothing to say. Instead she asked, “If you couldn’t stand being near me, why not just give me a quick peck on the lips and go to your party?”

Ben scoffed. “Why didn’t you?”

“Because you’re too tall,” Rey muttered.

“Because I don’t force myself onto unwilling participants,” Ben said all too quickly, but she did not miss his eyes flickering to her lips for a fraction of a second.  

“You could’ve been at your party by now,” Rey said. “Things should be dying down soon at the Common Room.” She pictured all the redheaded devils, drunk and singing whatever popular song was playing on Spotify at the moment. She wished she could be there, in the warmth of her Common Room, drinking some damn good booze and having fun with her family before they left her alone at Hogwarts.

Ben glanced at his watch and scoffed. “What party ends at ten? I just had to be at the Hufflepuff common room to make sure that everything is set up. Ravenclaws get oddly heated when everything isn’t perfect.”

“Ben! Where you at, Benny boy?” a voice echoed through the hall. Rey recognized the whiny voice.

“Arm! Arm, I’m over here,” Ben yelled. “By the staircase!”

A moment later, Armitage and Albus showed up around the corner. Both of them were dressed in casual wear in a similar, grunge-y style as Ben, but neither looked as natural garbed in black as Ben did.

            “Kenobi? Didn’t expect her,” Armitage said. “No wonder you weren’t there to inspect everything. Carmichael was about to throw a fit when the party planner didn’t show up.” Armitage bore a surprising resemblance to Rose’s uncle, Bill Weasley, minus the gnarly scar marring his features.

            “Could have just kissed her, Benny. You know you want to,” Albus said, wriggling his eyebrows suggestively.

            “Just…just get us out of this, Al,” Rey sputtered, hiding her blush in her scarf. She did not welcome the picture of Ben’s lips invading her thought space. She imagined she would have enjoyed it, but she didn’t want to give the boy anymore ammunition.

            “This is my brother’s work,” Armitage muttered as he inspected the mistletoe. “It’s well done, I must say. My uncle would be damn proud.” He pulled out his wand and casted a spell that Rey could not hear. The mistletoe began sputtering, leaking grey smoke from its mouth before falling limply into Armitage’s hand.

            “Should be good now,” Armitage said, pocketing the mistletoe. He offered Rey and smile. “I’m sure you Gryffindor’s are having a great time.”

            Ben scoffed, taking a cautionary step. “I doubt it. Let’s get going, boys. We have a reputation to uphold.” He turned to Rey and waved. “See you later, Kenobi. This was…something.”

            Rey watched as Ben, Armitage, and Albus turned towards the Hufflepuff common room before calling out, “Al!”

            All three boys turned with an inquisitive look at Rey. “I just want to talk to Al for a moment,” Rey said barely above a whisper.

            Al looked to both Ben and Armitage and shrugged. “Go ahead. Tell Carmichael I’ll be right behind you.”

            “Be quick,” Armitage said. “Won’t be a party without DJ Severus, now would it?”

            Al’s face colored at the mention of his DJ name. “Shut up, _General Hux_ ,” he said.

            _General Hux?_

            Armitage raised his arms in surrender. “Testy, testy. We’ll see you there. Be quick or I’m calling dibs on Gwen.”

            “You wouldn’t dare, Arm,” Albus said, nostrils flaring.

            “Try me,” Armitage said before grabbing Ben by the elbow and taking off, the click of their boots ringing through the empty halls. Before long, they had been encapsulated by the darkness.

            Al turned to Rey, scratching the back of his neck. He looked like Harry Potter, she noted, but she knew he knew it. Everyone knew it. She wondered if the legendary Harry Potter had the same mischievous streak that his children inherited.

            “What is it, Rey? I got a thing,” Albus said, determinedly not looking at her.

            “Um,” Rey stammered. “How come you didn’t tell us why you weren’t going to make it?”

            Albus blinked and quirked his eyebrow at her. “I told James. I assumed he told you guys.”

            Rey shook her head. “He told us you had to study for your OWL’s or something. I didn’t press because he didn’t seem very happy talking about it.”

            Albus shrugged. “Yeah, he was a bit upset that I chose my thing over your guy’s party. It’s just…I see you guys all the time and most of the Gryffindor look at me like I’ve backstabbed them or something. I don’t even know any of them. It’s just a weird vibe.”

            “Really? I never noticed,” Rey said. “I guess Solo was right.”

            That caught Albus’s attention. “The fuck did Benny boy say this time? He talks too much for his own good, you know. I’m going to have to dedicate a song to him later. Something dumb that I know he hates like Gucci Gang or something.”

            “Gucci Gang?” Rey asked. She knew of the brand, Gucci, but had never heard of a song, Gucci Gang.

            “Never mind that,” Albus said. “What did Ben say?”

            “That you don’t like hanging out with us,” Rey answered. “That you and Armitage take offense when we talk about the other Slytherins.”

            Albus shook his head. “Nah, it’s not that. It’s just weird since you guys are all Gryffindor’s. The only two in other houses are me and Arm. If it helps, we talk about you guys too. Nothing too mean, but we still do,” Albus said, offering her a smile. “Look, my dad has talked to Arm and I about being sorted into Slytherin and that it doesn’t really mean anything outside of Hogwarts. They don’t ask us what house we belonged to when we apply for jobs or what have you. No one really cares about it anymore. That was a thing of the past. Could you imagine if any of my uncles or Aunt Ginny were sorted into a house other than Gryffindor?”

            Rey shook her head and chuckled. “I guess it would have been pretty bad.”

            “Yeah, but now? It’s not so bad. Arm and I will take our digs, it doesn’t really bother us,” Albus said, clapping Rey on the shoulder.

            Rey smiled, relieved. “Right, thanks for talking to me.”

            “No problem. Any time I can talk to a pretty girl, I’m game,” Albus said with another smile.

            “Shouldn’t you be getting back to Malfoy before Arm does something?” Rey asked.

            “Shit, you’re right,” Albus muttered. “But I’m not after Scorpius. Word around the block is that he’s into Rose. But you didn’t hear that from me. Say you heard it from Arm. I want to see that idiot get bitched at by his sister.”

            Albus turned around, probably to see whether or not Ben and Armitage were still in sight. They weren’t. “Alright, I’ll be going now. DJ Severus got a set to play and a few idiots to call out,” Albus said.

            “Good night,” Rey said before adding, “and be responsible.”

            “Eh, we try,” Albus said before taking off leaving Rey alone with her thoughts.


	2. A Different Christmas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey and Ben are invited to the Potter household for their Christmas gathering.   
> ____________________________________________________________________________

            It’s their third year when he learned that she came from nowhere. He didn’t ask her, didn’t pry, didn’t particularly care about the answer to his question until she tells him and then he feels all sorts of wrong inside. When the words, “I’ve never celebrated Christmas before. We don’t do it at our foster home,” fell from her lips, Ben didn’t know how to react. His default modes were angry and annoyed and neither seemed to fit.

            “That sucks,” was all Ben managed to say. He looked down into his cup of eggnog and wished he had the vocabulary or the manliness to convey his thoughts.

            Rey scoffed. “Yeah, tell me about it.”

            Ben reached out and squeezed her hand through her soft, wool gloves. He smiled when he felt her squeeze back. “What do you want me to say? I’ll say anything for you, Rey.”

            She shrugged and turned away from him. He heard a sniffle. It rang in his ear like a gunshot, clearer than the raucous being raised in the family room behind them. “Don’t say anything. I don’t need your pity, Solo.”

            “You aren’t going to get pity from me. I don’t do that,” Ben muttered. He still held her hand, praying that Albus or Armitage didn’t see them. He wouldn’t hear the end of it.

            “Just say something nice, something Ben wouldn’t say to me on a normal day,” Rey said, her voice coming out in a soft whisper. She turned to him, her cheeks flushed and hazel eyes expectant.

            Ben smirked and took a sip of the spiked eggnog. It was liquid courage his father had said before. He needed the courage now. “You look pretty, Rey.”

            Rey quirked her eyebrow. She motioned up and down her patchy, bright red sweater with a ‘R’ sewn on the front with her free hand. “Really? I’m wearing this god-awful sweater and my make-up looks awful. I let Lily try her hand at it and it’s abysmal. I do not look pretty, Solo. Try again.”

            Ben dislodged his hand from hers and tucked it in his pocket. “We Solo men don’t have a way with words, Rey. We talk ourselves into idiotic situations over and over and over again. But, we say what we mean. So, trust me when I say, ‘you look pretty, Rey.’”

            Rey chuckled and nodded. “Fine, fine. That’s all you wanted to say?”

            Ben leaned into her ear, so close that the tuffs of brown hair leaking from her beanie tickled the side of his face. “And Merry Christmas,” he whispered before pressing a soft kiss to her cheek.


	3. Defeat at the Hands of His Enemies.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Benjamin Solo has done the impossible and lose to the Gryffindor's quidditch team, denying him legendary Shaq-Kobe status.

           Rey found him at the lake as the sun set. It had become his habit to linger here after losses, taking in the blackness of the shimmering lake, wishing it would envelop him and take away the pain blooming in his chest.  

            Ben didn’t turn at Rey’s approach, though she did not make any attempt to conceal her presence. She walked with the same jubilance win or loss. She claimed winning or losing didn’t affect her, that it was already a miracle she got to play quidditch as if it weren’t every wizard’s birthright. No, he would keep his gaze on the rays of sunset dancing across the waves. Acknowledging her victory meant acknowledging his loss and he just wasn’t there yet.

            No, he would brood because it was his birthright as a Solo.

            Still, he was glad that she didn’t gloat as she stepped next to him. He caught her casting wayward glances at him, but made no attempt to meet them. She was an infuriating little thing, impervious to his scowls and his snide words. She wielded a hammer when his disposition required a knife.

            “It wasn’t Scorpius’s fault,” Rey said after a length of time.

            “It was,” came Ben’s curt reply. The memory of Scorpius’s face, contorted with sadness, as Lily’s hand grasped the snitched flashed in his mind, breaking his heart a little more.

            “He’s pretty cut up about it.”

            “Good.”

            Ben still refused to face her. He could picture her face without having to see it. It bore a look of disgust, she was no doubt abhorred at his behavior. But he doubted she could hate him more than he hated himself at the moment.

            “Look at me, you idiot.” Her voice was snide and rough, so unlike her usual calm, almost melodic tone.

            He didn’t budge, staring resolutely at the lake. He tried to tune her out, erase her from his mind. He focused on the sound of waves lapping at the shoreline, the cawing of birds flying overheard, the rustling of leaves as the wind surged past. He prayed that she would get fed up and leave. She wouldn’t, but he could hope.

            “Look at me before I make you look at me,” Rey said barely above a whisper. Soft, too soft to be her voice. It coaxed something within him, something that begged him to peer into her hazel eyes. Perhaps they would hold the medicine to what was plaguing his heart.

            But he wouldn’t. He was Ben Solo and Solos don’t seek retribution in the arms of others. But it was tempting, oh so tempting.

            Ben felt a slap on his arm, hard and fast. “I’m trying to comfort you right now! Why do you always have to such a cad about everything!”

            The words seemed to have her desired effect because Ben turned and bore her down with his eyes. “I don’t need your fucking pity, Kenobi. I don’t need anyone’s pity. We lost, you won. If you wish to gloat, do so and leave me the fuck alone.”

            Any normal person would have slinked away to whatever hole they crawled out from, but not Rey Kenobi. He knew she wouldn’t back down. He knew she would respond to his fire with fury. She exemplified Gryffindor in that respect, never backing down from a fight, no matter how foolhardy.

            “You. Are. Such. A. Git.” She punctuated each word with a sharp poke in his chest, but Ben stood his ground. Her finger would sprain itself eventually.

            “You done?” Ben asked.

            Rey shook her head vehemently. “Scorpius is in there right now, being consoled by his teammates and even his opponents. He keeps blaming himself for the loss. It wasn’t even his fault!”

            Ben chuckled. It sounded hollow in his throat, mirthless. “Then who takes the blame?”

            “No one!”

            “No, not no one,” Ben spits. “Winning the game is on him. He is the seeker. The game is on his shoulders and he didn’t deliver. Do you know how hard each of us trains, Rey?”

            Before Rey can respond, Ben interjects. “I push each and every single one of us for hours on the pitch and in the gym. I make sure that every single one of my players are in tip top shape. I’ve cut out all sugar, all unnecessary carbs, and everything processed to get to the top of my game. But Scorpius? I see him eating sweets, disregarding his weight. He didn’t think about the match-up. He’s against Lily Potter who is shorter, smaller, and faster than him. She can zip across the field like a goddamn bolt of lightning. He needs to cut every disadvantage to beat her.”

            “So why not just get a new seeker? Why put your best friend through all this?” Rey asked exasperatedly.

            “Because he is the best seeker in the House,” Ben said. “If he wants to go pro like he says, then he will have to face harsher Captains than me and harder competition. He feels bad? He should. Next time he won’t be so cavalier about disregarding his training.”

            A gaggle of second years race past the two, their conversation having died down after nearing Rey and Ben’s exchange. Rey turned and smiled at them. She was like that, always looking to comfort the distressed. Ben hated that about her. He hated that she found that he needed to be comforted.

            Ben dipped his head in shame. He had exploded when he didn’t mean to. His mother had reprimanded him for that many times, yet he never learned. Another Organa-Solo trait he had inherited.

             “If you want to comfort someone so badly, why not go and see how Scorpius is doing?” he asked.

             Rey turned her comforting smile on him. She reached out and rubbed the spot she had slapped minutes ago. “Because someone needs to see how you’re doing, Ben. I know how hard you guys work. I see in your team’s face how much they don’t want to disappoint you.”

             A snort escaped Ben’s mouth. “They don’t normally disappoint me. Just today.”

             Rey clicked her teeth. “You’re doing it again.”

             “Doing what again?”

             “Being a cunt.”

             “I’m not familiar with your British slang, Rey.”

             “Such a cunt.”

             Ben sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. “Where is he?”

             Rey raised an eyebrow. “Who?” she asked, but her smile told him she knew who.

             “Just tell me where he is,” Ben muttered, casting his eyes at the lake. The sun had fallen below the trees now. The day was over and the moon was about to rise. The party was about to start in a few hours and for better or worse, he wanted to be there with his team to celebrate a mildly successful season. He was a sixth year now and he wanted to cherish such opportunities as often as possible.

“I’ll take you to him,” Rey said.

“No,” Ben was quick to say. “Just tell me where he is. I’ll go by myself.”

“Nuh-uh,” Rey said, shaking her head. “I want to watch you apologize. I might even take a picture. What a momentous occasion! Benjamin Solo apologizing for being a cunt! It might even make the Prophet tomorrow. Your mother and father would be so proud.”

“Yeah, I’m not giving you that satisfaction,” Ben said. He pulled out his phone and began to search for Albus’s name in his messages.

“ _Accio!”_

Ben watched as his phone shot from his hand and into Rey’s. She smirked at him and blew the tip of her wand. “Magic! So, gosh darn useful. Wouldn’t you agree, Solo?”

Ben held out his hand, the scowl returning to his face. “Give me back my phone, Kenobi.”

Rey shook her head, smiling mischievously. She shifted her weight back on forth on her feet.

“Kenobi.”

Rey spun on her heels and broke out in a dead sprint. “You’ll have to catch me, Solo!”

Ben cursed and drew his wand. He aimed it at his phone, proudly hoisted above her head as she ran. He thought of casting his own _Accio_ , but hesitated when he heard her maniacal laughter. Instead, he pocketed his wand and began running after her. “Damn scavenger.”

She was a flighty little bugger. Ben was taller than her by a good head and a half, but he weighted infinitely more than her. She was lithe and quick, a lethal combination that matched up well against his frame in a race.

“Get back here,” Ben yelled between breaths.

The only response he got from her was her peals of laughter. She leapt over bushes, darted around students, and spun around trees with grace and ease. He couldn’t overcome the same obstacles with anywhere near the same grace. He managed meager apologies as he hit students, cursed when tripped over bushes, and nearly ran into trees. On a broom, he was dangerously smooth. Comically long limbs didn’t hinder him in the air, but on the ground, it was a different story.

He chased her through the entrance, ignoring the occasional “Be careful!” from ghosts and professors alike. She turned the corner to the Great Hall and he followed, each of his breaths dangerously short and pained.

“No more running,” Ben panted as he rounded the corner. He used the stone walls for support as he lumbered over to where Rey stopped. She clutched her knees for support, her chest heaving in and out at the same pace as his own. She reared back, curving her back into a U shape before another peal of laughter erupted from her.

“Didn’t that feel good?” Rey asked after the two had caught their breath. She smiled at him so radiantly that he was forced to turn away.

“No,” Ben muttered. He peeled the hem of his shirt up and wiped his forehead. He didn’t notice the flush that crossed Rey’s face when he turned to face her again. “Phone.”

“Hm?” Rey asked, genuine confusion on her face.

Ben pointed at the phone in her hand. “Can I get my phone back?”

“Oh.” Rey handed Ben his phone and smiled. “Forgot about that.”

“Just like you forgot to add squill bulb to the Felix Felicis that one time,” Ben muttered, returning his phone to his pocket.

“You said you forgave me for that!”

Ben shrugged. “I did, but after this little stunt, I rescind my forgiveness.”

Rey chuckled and wiped her forehead with the sleeve of her sweater. Stray strands of hair escaped her ponytail and were plastered to her forehead. “You’re impossible, Solo.”

“I never aim to be anything else,” Ben said. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go make an ass of myself.”

“Aye. Don’t be so Ben when you talk to him,” Rey said with a teasing smile.

Ben made to pass Rey but stopped between her and the door. “You’re going to the party, right?”

            “Um, maybe? I don’t know. Parties aren’t really for me,” Rey answered.

            “Tsk, tsk,” Ben said. “You have to go. You vanquished the mighty Slytherins. That alone demands a party, right?”

            Rey laughed. He hated how it sounded so lovely in his ear. “Solo, if we held a party every time we beat you Slytherins, we would all collectively die from alcohol poisoning.”

            “Right, right. That’s why we were quidditch champs for the last two years, right?” Ben asked.

            “Those were flukes. We, Gryffindor’s, proved it a few hours ago,” Rey exclaimed.

            “Just so you know,” Ben said as he leaned in. “You stole my three-peat and I don’t take lightly to thieves.”

            Rey pushed Ben away, her face scrunched up. “You smell, Solo. Go wash up before you think of getting near me!”

            Ben leaned back against the stone wall. “So, I’ll see you at the party?”

            Rey eyed Ben with a funny glint in her eye. “Maybe. I’ve heard a lot about these parties you Slytherins plan. Might be worth a go.”

            “It’ll be worth your while, I promise,” Ben said.

            Rey rolled her eyes. “Fine, fine! You win for the first time today, Solo. I’ll be at your stupid party. And if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to wash up before dinner.” With that she spun on her heel and took off.

            Ben smiled and as he watched her go, he forgot to thank her. He made a mental note later to do so later.

 _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

            The music was blaring and the beats were banging as usual when DJ Severus stepped to the DJ booth and decided to be useful. Ben’s head was floaty under the influence of butterbeer, fire whiskey, and some good old-fashioned vodka. A puff or ten may have creeped their way into the mix as well, but Ben could neither confirm or deny it.

            Ben watched the dance from the sidelines as he had taken to the last few bashes. He would occasionally join in for a dance, but often found his place on the sidelines chatting up whomever had also decided to take a break. Tonight, there was no one benched alongside him. He found it hard to get into the groove after the loss and the subsequent talk he had with his team. He pulled the speech out of his ass, but it still turned out fairly well.

            But he still found the loss sitting in his gut, eating at him. The alcohol and weed helped, but he couldn’t completely displace the feeling of guilt with alcohol-induced jubilation. He took another sip of his drink and watched the party.

The Room of Requirement had let them in and transformed into a nice, little dark nightclub environment. Lights flashed from the ceilings, ranging from disorienting whites and reds to hypnotic purples and blues. There were couches along the side of the room. They were unoccupied at the moment, but as the night grew old, the drunk and unsteady would seek their comfort.

            Ben spied a head of platinum hair cross the dance floor towards him, shoving aside the platitudes of Hogwarts students from each House.

            “Scorpius,” Ben greeted, his voice barely audible over the beat, as Scorpius emerged from the dance floor. Despite having danced, drank and smoked, Scorpius’s outfit was still unscathed. Granted the first two buttons of his black button up were unbuttoned, but his black jeans and Chelsea boots looked as if they were just bought off the rack moments ago.

            Scorpius held out his glass of fire whiskey. Ben clinked his glass of beer against it and took a nice swig.

            “Not in the dancing mood?” Scorpius asked, settling against the wall next to Ben.

            Ben shrugged. “Not at the moment.”

            Scorpius nodded. “You know I’m sorry, right?”

            “I was of the understanding that this wouldn’t be a pity party,” Ben said.  

            “You don’t seem to be heeding your own words then,” Scorpius said.

            Ben turned and scanned the dance floor once more, looking out for a familiar faced Gryffindor.

            “Looking for Rey?” Scorpius asked.

            “No. Looking for your girlfriend to whisk you off your feet,” Ben said, grateful that the bright lights disguised the burning in his cheeks.

            “Rose went to help one of her underclassmen. She couldn’t handle her liquor and nearly vomited over some Ravenclaw,” Scorpius said. “You invited Rey, right?”

            “Since when did you refer to her as Rey?” Ben asked, staring into his beer.

            Scorpius shrugged. “Since Rose became my girlfriend.”

            “What song is this?”

            “No clue. I don’t know where Albus gets his music,” Scorpius answered.

            Ben looked out once more at the dance floor, hoping to catch her trademarked three-bun hairstyle. He hated it, but it was unique.

            “I hate you so much,” Ben muttered when he caught Scorpius’s shit-eating grin and took a swig of his beer. “Goddamn it.”

            Scorpius smirked and took a sip of his own, full drink. “Looks like you’re going to have to get on the dance floor if you want another drink.”

            “Fuck you, man,” Ben muttered, setting his drink on the table. It vanished a second later.

            “Nah, I got Rose for that now,” Scorpius chuckled which he followed up with a drunk hiccup.

            Ben shook his head at Scorpius. “Such a lightweight. You should be ashamed, Malfoy.”

            “Better a lightweight than a buzzkill, Solo,” Malfoy yelled as Ben began wading through the dance floor.

            Stray hands grabbed at him, trying to get him to dance, but he rebuffed each attempt with a polite smile. Each bump and grind made him angrier, a sign that the booze was wearing off. It was barely eleven and he would need another shot or five to revive his buzz and survive the night. With a final push, he escaped the dance floor and found his way to the bar.

            Students clamored to order, pushing and shoving their way to the front of the bar.

            “Hey, Ben! I see you,” James’s voice cut across the music. Ben craned his neck and spotted a slight visage of James Potter behind the bar. There were at least five people in front of him. “What can I get you?”

            “I was here first,” a random voice protested.

            “Me too!”

            “Shut up! Shut up or none of you are getting served,” James roared before turning back to Ben and beckoning him to the front. “We serve quidditch captains first and everyone else second.”

            Ben pushed his way to the front, ignoring the ill protest shot his way, and propped himself on the bar. James was working the bar with a few others Seventh years he recognized along with a few house elves.

            Ben pointed to the elves. “They weren’t here before.”

            James waved dismissively. “They’re moonlighting. You and I will be paying them handsomely, so don’t worry about it. Just don’t tell my Aunt about this. She’ll have my nuts.”

            “Alright. She won’t hear pip from me, Potter,” Ben said. He dipped his hand into a bowl of peanuts and popped some in his mouth.

            “So, what can I get you? I’ve learned how to cobble a few cocktails together if you don’t mind being my guinea pig,” James said, flashing the famous Potter smile.

            “Fine, but if I throw up, you’re fired,” Ben said, popping another handful of peanuts into his mouth.

            “Yes, I aim to please, Lord Ren,” James said with a mock bow.

            “Don’t make me get behind that bar, Potter!” Ben said. He clutched a handful of peanuts and poised his arm to throw them.

            “HA! I’ve seen you play chaser, you can’t hit me for—Hey! Those peanuts aren’t free, you ass!” James yelped as Ben launched the handful at him.

            A student pushed past Ben, nearly knocking him over. Ben looked up and saw that it was a 7th year Ravenclaw, but Ben couldn’t remember his name. “Potter, I’ve been waiting forever! Can I get served first instead of this loser?”

            Before Ben could defend himself, James snapped and pointed at the Ravenclaw. “Get this goon outta here! I don’t tolerate horseplay at my bar!”

            “Potter—” the drunk Ravenclaw began before he vanished from sight.

            Ben looked at the spot where the drunk Ravenclaw was and then back at James. “What the…”

            James waved his hand dismissively again. “Don’t worry about it, Ben. He’ll wake up in his bed tomorrow morning with a banging headache, but won’t be any worse for wear.”

            “Darryl!” a girl yelled. “What did you do to my boyfriend?”

            James snapped and pointed at the girl. “Someone!”

            “NO!” But she was gone like her boyfriend.

            “Stop vanishing people, man!” Ben shouted. “It’s bad for business!”

            The students who had crowded around the bar took steps back, some diffusing back into the dance floor, not wanting to upset James.  

            “So, what do you want? I got all the time in the world now,” James said with a smile.

            Ben reseated himself in the stool and shrugged. “What do you recommend?”

            James pursed his lips and took a moment. “I think you’d like an old fashion.”

            “Isn’t that an old man drink?” Ben asked.

            “I have no clue and it’s the only drink I know how to make,” James said. “So, you in or out?”

            Ben huffed. “Fine. Lay it on me, Potter.”

            “You won’t be disappointed,” James winked. He bent down below the bar and retrieved two glasses. He dropped a sugar cube into the bottom of each glass and wet it with few dark drops of something before smashing the cube with a wooden muddler. Next, he added a large ice cube and poured in a dark liquor. Finally, he garnished it with an orange peel.

            “Your old fashioned, sir,” James said with a proud smile.

            Ben held the glass to the light and peered into the glass. There wasn’t a lot of it, not much more than a shot he guessed. “Do I just take it down in one?”

“No,” James said. “You’re supposed to savor it. Imagine this were a fine wine.”

Ben clinked James’s glass before bringing it to his mouth and taking a sip. It was good. Strong. A few more and he would feel a lot better.

“How is it? Strong enough to wash away the feeling of defeat?” James asked after taking a sip of his own drink.

“Man, don’t act like we didn’t win the cup two years in a row,” Ben said.

James chuckled. “Aye, but that was last year and this is this year.”

“Philosophical, James,” Ben muttered into his glass before taking another sip. Five more and he would be empty. “This is good though. But then again, I haven’t had another old fashion to compare yours to.”

“I think I did it correctly this time,” James remarked as he inspected his drink. He turned to Ben. “How come you aren’t dancing? The only one of your little band of snakes that seems to be enjoying himself is Arm.”

“Scorpius is waiting for Rose to return,” Ben said, turning to look at the blonde. Scorpius was still in the same spot and on his phone.

“Some nasty business. A fourth year Gryffindor was about to puke everywhere! I should have vanished her, but Rose stopped me,” James said followed by a sigh.

“Dude, how many people have you vanished?” Ben asked exasperatedly.

James shrugged nonchalantly. “Some rowdy ones. Maybe like five?”

“FIVE?”

“Or more.”

“Five or more.”

“Are you drunk, Solo? You seem hard of hearing tonight. Might be because of this blasted music though,” James said with a smile. He tossed the rest of his drink down his throat and turned to Albus’s station. “Ay, DJ Severus, you tool! Change the song!”

“Fuck you, James!”

James turned back to Ben, a goofy grin emerging on his face. “Who are you waiting for, Benny boy?”

Ben stared down into his drink and shrugged. “Just not feeling it.”

A cocky, knowing grin emerged on James’s face. He leaned in, a little too close for Ben’s liking. “Hey, sources tell me Rey will show up later once the little shindig in Gryffindor tower finishes up,” James whispered. He walked over to the end of the bar and pulled up the tab. “Dobs, can I count on you to hold down the fort?”

“Yes sir,” a squeaky voice emerged from the other end of the bar.

“Good man!” James bellowed. He stepped over and clasped his hand on Ben’s shoulder. “Now, I’m going to kindly ask my idiot brother to change the track to something we can actually dance to.”

“Anything by Travis is fine by me,” Ben said.

“Scott?”

“La flame himself,” Ben replied.

“Alright, Benny boy. I got you,” James said and he stumbled over to the DJ station. He watched James lean into Albus’s ear. Albus looked over to Ben and mouthing, “I got you.”

Soon, the song shifted from a shitty trap beat to the hypnotic, deceptively slow beat of _goosebumps_ and the dance floor erupted in cheers so loud Ben could barely hear the beginning of Travis Scott’s intro. His head bounced to the rhythm of the song.

“Anything else, sir?” a squeak came from behind the bar. “I’m Dobs by the way.”

“Dobs, my good man. If you could fetch me another one,” Ben answered, holding up his glass.

“Right away, sir!” Another old fashion instantly appeared in front of Ben, his old one nowhere in sight.

            “Thank you, Dobs!” Ben brought the new drink to his lips and was instantly captivated by the scent of orange peel and bourbon, which was absent in James’s concoction. He took a sip and was floored by how much better Dobs’s drink was. “Dobs, excellent job. Excellent.”

            A squeal of happiness was heard at the other end of the bar, but Ben couldn’t see the top of Dobs’s gray head. He spun around in his barstool and watched the crowd quite literally bounce, any dancing having been arrested by Travis Scott. Ben smiled, taking occasional sips of his drink, and tried his best to stop thinking about Rey. He finished the drink and then another, followed by a few shots with Scorpius and Rose when she returned from her saintly mission. He started smiling goofily, but didn’t leave his seat at the bar near the entrance. Not until she showed up.

            “Hey,” a familiar voice yelled into his ear causing Ben to recoil and nearly spill his drink.

            Ben turned and instantly smiled wide. “Rey! You made it!” Ben said, setting his drink on the bar top, and pulled Rey into a hug.

            “Wow! Someone’s happy,” Rey squealed into Ben’s chest before pushing him away. “You’re squishing me!”

            Ben looked past Rey at her two friends, Finn and Poe. He dapped them both up and pulled them into one-armed hugs. “Hey, guys! Glad you could make it!”

            Finn laughed. “Man, you are smashed!”

            “I thought you would have kicked us out the moment we showed up,” Poe said. Even in the flashing lights, Ben could see the red tint coloring Poe’s cheeks.

            “Come on, guys. Enjoy yourselves,” Ben said, waving them further into the room. “It’s not every day you can celebrate beating us!”

            Poe pulled Finn for a kiss before dragging him into dance floor. “Let’s dance!”

            “Ay, Dobs! Get this lady a drink,” Ben yelled.

            Rey laughed. “No, no! I’ve had too much to drink already.”

            Ben eyed her funnily. “Liar. You’re not even slurring.”

            Rey laughed again, a more beautiful sound than the music Al was blaring. “Neither are you, Ben!”

            “Well, I guess we both got a way to go then,” Ben roared. He looked over at the bar and four shots of a clear liquid had magically appeared. He took one for himself and handed the other to Rey. “Bottoms up, Kenobi.”

            Rey looked at the shot in her hand and back at Ben. “I’ve really—”

            “Bottoms the fuck up, Kenobi!” Ben yelled.

            Rey rolled eyes, tapped her glass on the bar top before throwing it back. Ben followed suit right after.

            “Damn that burns,” Rey hissed.

            “Another one,” Ben said, handing her the last one.

            “No! I have stuff to do tomorrow!” Rey tried to protest.

            “Let future Rey deal with it then,” Ben retorted.

            “Fine, fine! Give it here, you absolute fiend,” Rey said. She took the shot from Ben’s hand forcefully, causing a sliver of the clear alcohol to splash onto the bar top.

            “Cheers!” Ben slammed the shot back and hissed as the alcohol burned his throat on the way down. “Fuck, that’s bad!”

            Rey nodded, her hand firmly clasped over her mouth. With her other hand, she grasped Ben’s and forcefully led him onto the dance floor. Ben allowed himself to be dragged by a girl who was a buck ten soaking wet. He turned to Albus, who was bouncing his head to the beat, one head on his station, the other clasped around his headset.

            By mere chance, Albus looked up at that moment and met Ben’s eyes. The two had mastered their non-verbal cues a long time ago, so when Ben swirled his finger in the air, Albus knew what it meant. The song stopped abruptly and a new track was queued. A summery beat sprang forward and the dulcet tones of a male began serenading the dance floor in Korean.

            “This is for Benjamin Solo, Captain of the Slytherin Quidditch Team,” Albus announced into his mic before the volume up to tune out the jeers. “Please direct your complaints to him and not me!”

            Rey glanced up at Ben and began saying something, but Ben motioned that he couldn’t hear what she was saying. Rey sighed and reached up with both arms and latched them around Ben’s neck, dragging him down so that her lips were level with his ears.

            “I didn’t know you listened to k-pop,” Rey said into his ear.

            Ben shrugged. “I don’t! But you do!”

            “How’d you know _Love Me Love Me_ was my favorite song?” Rey asked.

            Ben threw his head back, erupting in laughter. He leaned in and shouted into her ear, “I caught you dancing to it in the prefect’s room. I asked Finn and he told me that you blast it _all the time_ in the Gryffindor Common Room.”

            Rey smacked Ben playfully on the chest, her other hand clutched over her mouth, her roars of laughter somehow reaching his ears over the sound of the Korean words that somehow got everyone on the floor dancing. Ben summoned all his strength to stop himself from making a drunken mistake and instead, leaned in and whispered, “Thanks for today. And sorry for being a cunt.”

            Rey smiled at him and gave him a swift hug. Then the two danced and danced until the night grew old and the drunk grew sleepy and tired. Ben helped Rey back to her common room before lumbering back to his own dorm room where he fell asleep unaware of something that had just awakened inside him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Formatting is off and I'm working on standardizing it. Thanks for reading guys. HMU with any prompts. I could always use ideas, outlandish or not.


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